Wedging of C-3 in infants and children: usually a normal finding and not a fracture.

The vertebral body configurations of the cervical spine from C-3 to C-7 were analyzed in 481 pediatric patients to ascertain how often anterior tapering or wedging of C-3 (either of which may suggest a compression fracture) occurred, how often this configuration occurred at other levels, and why it occurred. The lateral radiographs of the cervical spine were retrospectively analyzed, and the configuration of the vertebral bodies was classified as type 1 (oval and immature), 2 (a vertebral body with a round anterior superior corner), 3 (anteriorly tapered), or 4 (rectangular, with a mature appearance). The patients were divided into four age groups: 0-3, 4-7, 8-12, and 13-19 years.

Torsion of wandering spleen: the whorled appearance of the splenic pedicle on CT.

Congenital deficiency or acquired laxity of the suspensory ligaments of the spleen may result in extreme splenic mobility. This rare condition, which is termed wandering or ectopic spleen predisposes the elongated splenic pedicle to torsion. We present a case of splenic torsion with a new CT finding consisting of a whorled appearance of the splenic pedicle.

Fungal infections of the chest in infants and children.

Although fungal infections of the thorax are often asymptomatic in children, fungi are capable of producing significant pulmonary and mediastinal disease in this population. Young infants and immunocompromised children are at increased risk for fungal infections and often develop disseminated disease. Pulmonary fungal infections present with a wide variety of findings, many of which are nonspecific.

Mycotic thromboaneurysmal disease of the abdominal aorta in preterm infants: its natural history and its management.

Five infants with mycotic complications of umbilical artery catheterization were evaluated with abdominal ultrasound and followed serially to document their natural history. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was always the infecting organism. There were one female and four male infants and they weighed between 900 and 1,200 g at birth.

Stridor and upper airway obstruction in infants and children.

Upper airway obstruction in infants and children is a common and distressing problem because of the relatively narrow diameter of the airway in early life. Although ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging have become increasingly popular modalities for use in many pediatric diseases, plain radiography and fluoroscopy, with attention to technique, collimation, and patient position, continue to be the mainstays for the evaluation of stridor in children. An understanding of normal airway anatomy and air flow dynamics is necessary for this evaluation.

Postnatal development of T lymphocytes in a novel X-linked immunodeficiency disease.

We previously reported an X-linked combined immunodeficiency disease (CID) characterized by immune deficiencies and complicating infections that were more moderate than those found in severe CID (SCID). Since other unstudied males in the family died in infancy, we questioned whether this T cell defect was more profound in early life. Subsequently, the development of blood T cells in an affected newborn male was examined.

Neurodevelopmental outcome in neonates after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: cranial magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography correlation.

Irreversible ligation of the right common carotid artery and right internal jugular vein is usual in venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for treatment of severe respiratory failure in neonates. Vessel ligation with ECMO may magnify risks of cerebral hemorrhage or infarction (CHI) and adversely affect neurodevelopmental outcome. To correlate CHI after ECMO with neurodevelopmental outcome, we reviewed cranial ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in 22 consecutive neonatal ECMO survivors and compared these with results of Bayley Scales of Infant Development obtained at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months of follow-up.

Exuberant blood flow in enlarged lymph nodes: findings on color flow Doppler.

Ten cases of adenopathy, 7 inflammatory and 3 lymphomatous in origin, with visible increased blood flow on color flow Doppler examination are presented. Although the ultrasonic demonstration of blood vessels in enlarged lymph nodes, both inflammatory and tumoral, is not new [1-5], we believe that this is the 1st definitive documentation with color flow Doppler. In some cases the degree of flow was striking, reflecting high velocity flow.